Ciprofloxacin belongs to the fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics, and is chemically known as 1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7-(1-piperazinyl)-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid. It possesses the chemical structure depicted in Formula 1.

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin provide advantages over other classes of antibiotics, such as possessing comparatively lower minimum inhibitory concentration required to inhibit ninety percent of a variety of bacterial pathogens (MIC90) and engendering to a lesser degree the formation of resistant bacterial strains. For instance, ciprofloxacin typically exhibits an MIC90 around 0.5 μg/g and the aminoglycoside antibiotic, gentamycin, typically exhibits an MIC90 around 10 μg/gm. (See, e.g., T. L. Ke et al., Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vol. 17, No. 6, p 555-562, 2001.) In addition, ciprofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that demonstrates antibacterial activity against a wide range of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial species. Whereas other antibiotics, such as neomycin, polymyxin B, gentamicin and tobramycin or bacitracin, gramicidin, and erythromycin, are primarily active against gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria, respectively.
Ciprofloxacin is commercially available throughout the world, in both topical and systemic pharmaceutical formulations indicated for the treatment of bacterial infections. Examples of commercially available topical ciprofloxacin products include CILOXAN (0.3% ciprofloxacin HCl ophthalmic solution), CIPRODEX (ciprofloxacin 0.3% and dexamethasone 0.1% otic suspension), and CIPRO HC OTIC (ciprofloxacin hydrochloride and hydrocortisone otic suspension.
CILOXAN is indicated for the treatment of: i. corneal ulcers caused by infections of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus (Viridans Group), and ii. conjunctivitis caused by infections of Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. 
CIPRODEX is indicated for the treatment of: i. acute otitis media in pediatric patients (age 6 months and older) with tympanostomy tubes due to Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and ii. acute otitis externa in pediatric (age 6 months and older), adult and elderly patients due to Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 
CIPRO HC OTIC is indicated for the treatment of acute otitis externa in adult and pediatric patients, one year and older, due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Proteus mirabilis. 